The Bum's Aug. MLB Best Bets + Pod's !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Brewers (51-67) at Rangers (69-50)
Game: 1
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: August 13, 2013 8:05 PM EDT


The AL West-leading Texas Rangers have earned the majority of their season-high eight straight wins against sub-.500 teams.

That string of lackluster opponents isn't ending any time soon.

The Milwaukee Brewers, though, have played relatively well in the past week and should get Aramis Ramirez back in the lineup as they try to snap the Rangers' run Tuesday night in Arlington.

After winning two of three at Oakland, Texas (69-50) concluded its road trip by sweeping the Los Angeles Angels and last-place Houston. Yu Darvish took a no-hitter into the eighth inning in a 2-1 victory over the Astros on Monday, helping the club maintain its one-game division lead over the A's.

The Rangers, winners in 13 of 14, will face six more teams with losing records until visiting the A's from Sept. 2-4. Milwaukee (51-67) is the next of those opponents, but it enters this two-game series having won five of eight.

The Brewers had 20 runs and 27 hits in their first two games in Seattle before falling 2-0 in Sunday's finale against Felix Hernandez. They're expected to get some help Tuesday, though, as Ramirez returns from a sprained left knee.

The third baseman was placed on the disabled list for the second time this season July 8 because of that ailment. The Brewers wanted Ramirez to go on a rehab assignment, but with the club wrapping up a nine-game road trip, he declined - just as he did upon returning in May.

Ramirez is expected to bat cleanup and serve as the designated hitter in one of the games against Texas and start at third base in the other.

"I know he's been out a long time and it's probably not ideal (to immediately have Ramirez bat cleanup)," manager Ron Roenicke told the Brewers' official website. "It's not ideal that he doesn't go out on rehab, either. But, sometimes, that's what we do."

The Rangers haven't won nine straight since a 12-game run July 4-19, 2011, and they're also seeking a season-high fifth consecutive home win as they send Alexi Ogando (5-3, 3.28 ERA) to the mound.

The right-hander hasn't pitched past the fifth inning in four outings since returning from a seven-week absence with to inflammation in his pitching shoulder. Ogando, however, was perhaps the sharpest he's been since returning Wednesday in Anaheim, giving up two runs and four hits over five in a 10-3 rout of the Angels that was his first win since May 15.

"I thought Ogando progressed," manager Ron Washington told the team's official website. "Tonight was a step forward."

Ogando is 2-0 with a 2.76 ERA in three home starts this season.

Marco Estrada (4-4, 4.96) made his return from a strained left hamstring in a 6-1 win in San Francisco on Wednesday. He held the Giants to one hit over five innings, fanning six before the Brewers' offense turned it on late in a 6-1 win.

"Obviously, I was very excited. It was great to be out there again. It's been a long time," he told the team's official website after his first start since June 3.

Estrada has been quite good outside of Milwaukee. He has a 3.07 ERA in seven road starts - his home ERA is 7.71 - and his opponents' road OPS of .603 is among the best in baseball.

The teams split two games at Miller Park from May 7-8. The Rangers have won five of eight overall meetings since the Brewers left the AL after the 1997 season.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Reds (66-52) at Cubs (52-66)
Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: August 13, 2013 8:05 PM EDT


The Chicago Cubs won't be mistaken for an offensive juggernaut, but their recent trouble scoring runs at home is something the long-suffering franchise hasn't experienced in nearly 89 years.

Homer Bailey has been extremely stingy at Wrigley Field over the last two years, and he'll be on the hill for the Cincinnati Reds as the Cubs look to avoid a fourth straight home shutout for the first time in club history.

Chicago (52-66) ranks in the bottom third of the majors in runs and has scored two or fewer 37 times after Monday's 2-0 loss in the series opener. The defeat marked the first time the Cubs have been blanked in three straight home games since Aug. 20-21, 1924.

Of the 11 Cubs who came to the plate Monday, only Darwin Barney did not strike out. Donnie Murphy recorded their first hit in the fifth inning and had two of Chicago's six for the game.

``It's funny. We're scoring in bigger parks and stuff on the road and we can't seem to muster up anything at home,' manager Dale Sveum said.

Facing Bailey (7-10, 3.73 ERA) may not make it any easier on the Cubs. He has won his last four overall starts versus Chicago and has posted a 1.93 ERA during a four-start winning streak at Wrigley Field.

The right-hander was reached for five runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings Wednesday, but the offense provided enough support in a 6-5 win over Oakland. He has not won three consecutive starts since reeling off four straight from July 2-20, 2012.

Bailey gave up two runs in six innings of a 5-2 win over the Cubs May 25 at home before allowing one unearned run and four hits in eight innings of a 6-2 victory June 10 at Wrigley. He struck out eight in both outings.

The Reds (66-52) have won five of six after Brandon Phillips hit a two-run homer in the seventh Monday to give them their 13th win in 14 games at Wrigley and 20th in 24 overall versus the Cubs.

Ryan Ludwick played Monday for the first time since tearing cartilage in his right shoulder opening day and went 0 for 3, but he's still a .324 career hitter in 41 games at the Friendly Confines.

He'll look improve on that average against Jeff Samardzija, who is coming off arguably his worst major league start.

Samardzija (6-11, 4.23) gave up a career worst-tying nine runs in 3 1-3 innings - equaling the shortest start of his career set four years ago - in Thursday's 12-1 loss to Philadelphia.

He went 1-1 with a 2.42 ERA in his previous four outings, though, and neither Sveum nor general manager Jed Hoyer are concerned about the right-hander.

"I'm hopeful he can get through this down stretch and get going," Hoyer told the team's official website. "I don't think he's getting tired; he might be pressing. He's gotten through this kind of stretch before and we're hopeful he can get through it again."

Samardzija is 0-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three starts versus the Reds this season and allowed five runs and 10 hits while walking four in six innings of Chicago's 6-5, 14-inning victory the last time he faced them June 13 .

Phillips, though, is just 3 for 23 lifetime against Samardzija.

Starlin Castro, who had a six-game hitting streak snapped Monday, is 0 for 6 this season and 5 for 24 (.208) in his career off Bailey.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Cubs
Mon, Aug 12 Final 2 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Reds at Cubs
Tue, Aug 13 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Reds at Cubs
Wed, Aug 14 - 2:20PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (69-48) at White Sox (45-72)
Game: 2
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 13, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Max Scherzer is already having a career year.

Now he can become the fastest Detroit Tigers pitcher to 18 wins in 45 years.

Scherzer will try to continue his brilliant beginning to the second half with another dominant effort against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

Scherzer (17-1, 2.84 ERA) leads the majors in wins while his 175 strikeouts and 0.90 WHIP are among baseball's best.

He's one of the major reasons why Detroit (69-48) is atop the AL Central by 6 1/2 games over second-place Kansas City, but he's quick to deflect praise.

"It's not so much my achievement. It's a team achievement," Scherzer told the team's official website. "If I'm going to sit here and take credit for these wins and say I'm the reason why we're winning, I'd be pretty naive."

The right-hander has a chance to become the first Tigers pitcher to win 18 games in his first 24 starts since Denny McLain did it in 23 during his 1968 Cy Young Award-winning season.

Scherzer kept rolling Thursday, yielding two runs in seven innings of a 10-3 win at Cleveland, improving to 4-0 with a 1.26 ERA since starting the All-Star game.

"He's always good," manager Jim Leyland said. "He was pretty much vintage Max."

He certainly fits that description against the White Sox (45-72). Scherzer has beaten them in four straight starts behind a 0.91 ERA while holding them to a .149 average.

Chicago has been the victim of two of his wins since the Midsummer Classic. His latest visit to the South Side resulted in a 7-3 victory July 22, while he allowed two runs in eight innings.

This matchup will require Scherzer to help the Tigers rebound from Monday's 6-2 defeat to the White Sox. It's the first time he'll have taken the hill after a Detroit loss since July 8.

Despite his team's defeat in the opener of this three-game series, Miguel Cabrera went 2 for 4 with a solo homer to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. The reigning AL MVP has a .432 average with five homers and 12 RBIs over that stretch, and he's 13 for 31 (.419) over his last eight games at U.S. Cellular Field.

Cabrera leads the majors with a .366 average and 111 RBIs, but his 37 homers are second to Baltimore's Chris Davis (43) as he tries to become the first hitter to record back-to-back Triple Crown seasons.

The White Sox have gone seven straight series against the Tigers without winning back-to-back games.

They'll counter with Hector Santiago (3-7, 3.43), who's 0-2 with a 3.99 ERA over his last eight starts.

Both losses in that stretch have come against the Tigers, though he's only allowed five runs in 13 innings. His teammates have backed him with one run and committed four errors.

The left-hander was impressive in his most recent outing versus Detroit on Aug. 2, allowing two runs with seven strikeouts in seven innings of a 2-1 loss.

He followed that up five days later with a shaky performance against the Yankees, giving up four runs in 5 2-3 innings of a 6-5 win in 12.

Gordon Beckham is 7 for 12 with a double, two homers and five RBIs in his past three home meetings with Detroit after getting three hits and plating a run Monday.

He'll face Scherzer for the first time this year, but he's 5 for 26 lifetime in their matchups after going 0 for 9 with three strikeouts in 2012.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at White Sox
Mon, Aug 12 Final 2 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Tigers at White Sox
Tue, Aug 13 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Tigers at White Sox
Wed, Aug 14 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Marlins (44-73) at Royals (62-54)
Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: August 13, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Billy Butler is one of the main reasons behind the Kansas City Royals' impressive turnaround.

Bruce Chen is making his own contributions on the mound.

Butler looks to continue his tear at the plate and Chen goes for another strong start as the Royals again attempt to capitalize on the struggling Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.

Winning 17 of 20 has made Kansas City (62-54) a factor in the AL wild-card race after owning a 45-51 record on July 22.

Butler is certainly impacting the surge, hitting .372 in 26 games after owning a .263 average over his first 50.

"The first half was definitely a grind for me. I was kind of hit or miss," Butler said. "I was doing my same stuff, but wasn't getting the results. I've been feeling good ever since the second half started. I'm just taking confidence from each day and letting it build.

"I've always been better in the second half throughout my career.'

Butler is hitting .339 after the All-Star break over the past two seasons, fourth-best in the majors. He continued his recent success with a solo homer for one of his two hits during Monday's 6-2 win over Miami to open this three-game series.

The designated hitter is 12 for 25 with two homers, four RBIs and six runs during a six-game hitting streak.

Chen (5-0, 1.79 ERA) is also making a difference for the Royals, going 2-0 with a 1.14 ERA in five starts since being inserted in the rotation.

"I'm feeling comfortable and I'm feeling good, but most importantly, I'm doing everything I can to help this team win," Chen told the team's official website. "I'm just glad that I'm able to do it as a starter and I'm glad I'm able to do it so far so well. I just want to keep it going so I can help this team any way I can."

The 36-year-old left-hander certainly helped Thursday, when he tossed 7 2-3 scoreless innings in a 5-1 win over AL East-leading Boston.

"He's just been as sharp as a tack since he came back, even in his first game," manager Ned Yost said. "He continues to have that consistency every time out."

Chen will face the Marlins (44-73) for the first time since 2006, and his last start against them came in 2001.

Miami will counter Chen with 21-year-old phenom Jose Fernandez (8-5, 2.58 ERA), who has the team hoping for a bright future.

Fernandez, though, is coming off a shaky performance in Thursday's 5-4, 10-inning loss at Pittsburgh. The right-hander allowed two runs with five strikeouts and four walks in five innings. He was 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 29 innings over his previous four games.

"Eventually the league is going to adjust to Fernandez and he's going to have to adjust," manager Mike Redmond told the team's official website.

Fernandez seems in need of an adjustment on the road, where he's 3-5 with a 3.94 ERA in 11 starts compared to 5-0 with a 1.39 ERA in 11 at home.

He's lost both his road starts in interleague play, surrendering 11 runs and 11 hits with eight strikeouts and five walks in 8 1-3 innings.

The Marlins, who stranded 11 runners Monday, are hitting .202 with 19 runs while dropping eight of nine games.

"We don't have the offense to cover up any mistakes and right now we're making too many mistakes," Redmond said.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Marlins at Royals
Mon, Aug 12 Final 2 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Marlins at Royals
Tue, Aug 13 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Marlins at Royals
Wed, Aug 14 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Indians (63-56) at Twins (53-63)
Game: 2
Venue: Target Field
Date: August 13, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Home runs have powered the Minnesota Twins' recent surge.

Superb pitching, however, is the main reason they're on the verge of their longest home winning streak in 14 months.

That successful combination may be on display again Tuesday night as the Twins go for another victory over the struggling Cleveland Indians.

Minnesota (53-63) has won four of five games thanks to the long ball, as all 22 of their runs have scored via 13 homers.

That trend continued Monday, when Brian Dozier and Trevor Plouffe connected to power a 3-0 win in the opener of this three-game series with Cleveland (63-56). Dozier is hitting .327 with a 1.101 OPS in August after entering the month with a .231 average and .685 OPS.

The Twins have had to rely on the long ball, as they're 3 for 43 (.070) with runners in scoring position over their last five contests. They're hitting .215 overall in the last four home games, but the pitching staff has picked up the slack to win each of those behind a 2.03 ERA.

Andrew Albers turned in the latest gem Monday, throwing a two-hitter in just his second major league appearance.

"We saw how pitching is supposed to be done," manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Minnesota will try to keep it going by giving the ball to Samuel Deduno (7-5, 3.38 ERA), who has won both of his home starts against Cleveland, allowing three runs and five hits in 14 innings.

The right-hander will look to help the Twins win a fifth straight home game for the first time since May 28-June 9, 2012.

Deduno was 3-0 with a 1.67 ERA in his previous four starts before a rough outing Wednesday at Kansas City. Though he didn't walk a batter for the first time in 2013, he gave up a season-high 12 hits and four runs over 5 2-3 innings in a 5-2 loss.

He had completed at least six innings in each of his previous nine outings.

The Twins have won nine of their last 11 home meetings with the Indians behind a 1.89 ERA in those victories.

Cleveland, meanwhile, has dropped seven of its last eight overall while its rotation has a 6.00 ERA.

If he pitches anything like he did Thursday against Detroit, Zach McAllister (4-7, 3.90) won't help lower that mark. The right-hander lasted just 2 1-3 innings, allowing four hits, four walks and six runs in a 10-3 loss.

"I just got out of sync," McAllister told the team's official website. "I felt good, felt like the ball was coming out the way I wanted it to. I just wasn't able to command it.

"I wasn't able to make the adjustment that I needed to get back into it and get outs when I needed to."

He hasn't fared any better against Minnesota, going 0-3 with an 8.00 ERA during three starts in which he's lasted a combined nine innings while allowing 24 baserunners and three homers.

Josh Willingham is 4 for 4 with two homers off McAllister, while Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau are a combined 5 for 11.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Twins
Mon, Aug 12 Final 0 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Indians at Twins
Tue, Aug 13 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Indians at Twins
Wed, Aug 14 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pirates (70-47) at Cardinals (67-50)
Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: August 13, 2013 8:15 PM EDT


The Pittsburgh Pirates' three-game NL Central lead over the St. Louis Cardinals can partially be attributed to their play against their division rival.

Now it's the Cardinals who feel like they have something to prove against the upstart Pirates.

St. Louis has juggled its rotation so Adam Wainwright can start Tuesday night's opener of this much-anticipated three-game series opposite Charlie Morton, who has lost five straight to the Cardinals.

Pittsburgh (70-47) heads to Busch Stadium with a 7-3 record against St. Louis (67-50), winning four of five at home July 29-Aug. 1 to take over the Central lead.

St. Louis was outscored 22-7 in the first four games of that set before salvaging a 13-0 victory in the finale to snap a season-high seven-game losing streak.

"I know our guys are looking forward to playing them again," manager Mike Matheny said. "We're anxious about it. There's a little added excitement with them coming in town and something to prove. We're a better team than we showed in Pittsburgh."

Matheny mandated a day away from the park on Monday's off day with his club a loser of 13 of 18.

"We're locking the clubhouse doors just in case anybody has a stupid idea," he said.

The Cardinals have dropped three straight starts by Wainwright (13-7, 2.66 ERA), who allowed four runs in seven innings and did not get a decision in a 5-4 loss at Pittsburgh on July 31. He's 0-2 with a 4.29 ERA during that span, and will have three extra days of rest since pitching last Monday against the Dodgers.

The right-hander, second in the majors with 175 2-3 innings pitched, is 9-6 with a 2.93 ERA in 17 career starts with at least six days off.

"I'm always excited to take the ball," Wainwright told the Cardinals' official website. "That's why we work hard in between starts."

Wainwright's 5.19 ERA against Pittsburgh is his second-highest against any NL club.

Numerous Pirates have good numbers against him. Russell Martin is 9 for 19, Andrew McCutchen is 9 for 23, Jose Tabata 6 for 13 and Neil Walker 5 for 13.

McCutchen has 14 hits in his last 27 at_bats and Walker is hitting .364 in his last 15 games for Pittsburgh, which was swept in a weekend three-game set at Colorado that came on the heels of a 9-2 homestand.

The Pirates also had Monday off and are eager to move on to St. Louis, where they took two of three April 26-28.

"We're going to go in there, it's going to be packed, it's going to be exciting," manager Clint Hurdle told the Pirates' official website.

Morton (4-3, 3.88) is 0-5 with a 6.41 ERA in his last five starts against the Cardinals, surrendering five runs in six innings in the Aug. 1 defeat. He's 1-3 with a 7.77 ERA in five outings at St Louis.

Pittsburgh has won all four of his other starts over the past five weeks as Morton has gone 3-0 with a 3.50 ERA. He beat Miami on Wednesday with seven strong innings in a 4-2 win.

Allen Craig, hitting .464 with runners in scoring position, is 8 for 15 off the right-hander. Carlos Beltran is 5 for 12 and Matt Holliday 7 for 21.

Holliday is hitting .436 with 12 RBIs in his past 15 games, going 10 for 23 in the last series against Pittsburgh.

Beltran left Sunday's 8-4 victory over the Cubs after fouling a ball off his right foot. X-rays were negative.

"Hopefully Tuesday I can be back," he said.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Padres (53-65) at Rockies (56-64)
Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: August 13, 2013 8:40 PM EDT


The last time the Colorado Rockies won five straight games following a 1-9 road swing, they made a run all the way to the World Series.

While that seems highly unlikely this time around, they're playing with some confidence at Coors Field.

After dropping nine of 10 on their recent trip, the Rockies will try for their fifth consecutive victory Tuesday night when they host the sinking San Diego Padres.

Colorado (56-64) was eight back following a 1-9 road trip from June 22-July 1, 2007, before going 51-30 the rest of the way that season en route to their first NL pennant.

Being 13 games behind the Dodgers in the West and 11 behind Cincinnati in mid-August this season - with multiple teams in between - is a far different story, but the Rockies will take the field Tuesday going for their longest winning streak since an eight-game tear April 12-20.

Nolan Arenado matched a career high with four hits and DJ LeMahieu added three with a homer to help Colorado win for the 11th time in 14 games against San Diego (53-65) with an 14-2 victory in Monday's series opener.

"Everything is clicking the last four games, everything,' LeMahieu said. "Offense, baserunning, and our defense was great tonight. Our pitching was great tonight. Put all four of those things together, we're a pretty tough team to beat.'

After putting up a season-best run total Monday, the Rockies have scored 33 while hitting .338 during their current win streak and are batting .328 and averaging 7.4 runs in eight home games versus the Padres.

Arenado is batting .424 during a nine-game hitting streak, while Dexter Fowler is batting .472 with 14 RBIs over a 12-game home hitting streak against San Diego.

Colorado, however, hasn't been able to solve San Diego starter Eric Stults (8-10, 3.50 ERA), who seeks his third win against the Rockies this season.

Stults allowed two runs - one earned - over seven innings in a 4-2 victory at Coors Field on June 8 and limited Colorado to four hits while going the distance in a 2-1 home win July 9.

The left-hander, though, has given up 17 runs - 11 earned - over 24 2-3 innings while going 0-3 in four starts since the All-Star break. He also has an 8.05 ERA while dropping four straight road outings.

Stults gave up three runs and five hits over seven innings Wednesday before Baltimore scored seven runs off the San Diego bullpen in the final two innings for a 10-3 victory.

The Padres hope to avoid their sixth loss in seven games as they get their first look at Jeff Manship (0-1, 3.60).

Manship earned another start after allowing two runs and four hits over five innings in a 2-1 road loss to the Mets on Thursday. He's filling in for Tyler Chatwood, who may be out until September due to inflammation in his right elbow.

Manship will try to hold down a San Diego team that has totaled 13 runs while hitting .196 over its last six games.

Jedd Gyorko broke out of an 11-for-83 (.133) slump by going 2 for 4 with a homer in the opener, while Jaff Decker added his first big-league home run.

He's 1 for 6 in two starts in left field since Carlos Quentin went on the disabled list.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Padres at Rockies
Mon, Aug 12 Final 2 to 14
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Padres at Rockies
Tue, Aug 13 - 8:40PM EDT

GAME 3
Padres at Rockies
Wed, Aug 14 - 3:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Orioles (65-53) at Diamondbacks (60-57)
Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: August 13, 2013 9:40 PM EDT


Chris Davis appears to be on one of his homer binges, helping the Baltimore Orioles produce at a high rate offensively on their road trip.

Now they're hoping their pitching can get back on track at Chase Field.

Miguel Gonzalez will try to avoid a third consecutive loss and lead the Orioles to their fifth win in seven games Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

After hitting two more homers in Monday's series opener, Baltimore (65-53) has averaged 6.2 runs and hit .281 with nine home runs while going 4-2 on its eight-game road trip.

Davis belted his major league-leading 43rd home run to tie the game in the eighth inning Monday, his sixth over his last 12 games. He's also batting .421 with seven homers and 13 RBIs in 15 interleague games.

Adam Eaton, however, provided the Diamondbacks (60-57) with a walkoff homer - his first home run of the season - for a 7-6 victory that snapped their two-game skid. Eaton has gone 7 for 18 (.389) in his last four games.

``We could have got discouraged, we let some opportunities go, but battled back against a pretty good team,' Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said after his team twice blew one-run leads in the final two innings.

While the Orioles rank near the bottom of the majors with a 4.29 ERA, they had a 2.20 ERA in the first five games of the trip before getting tagged for three homers by the Diamondbacks.

Showalter will give the ball to Gonzalez (8-5, 3.91 ERA) in hopes he can regain the form he had while going 6-1 with a 2.35 ERA over a recent eight-start stretch.

Since then, the right-hander has struggled with an 0-2 record and 8.16 ERA in his last three starts. Gonzalez pitched slightly better Wednesday, allowing three runs - all in the sixth - and striking out eight over six innings before the Orioles rallied late for a 10-3 win at San Diego.

"You saw what happened in the sixth inning when I started getting behind guys," he told the Orioles' official website. "It's tough no matter where you go and what team you play against. You fall behind and you're going to be in trouble."

Gonzalez has not gone four starts without a win since a five-outing stretch from April 28-May 31.

He'll try to cool off Arizona infielder Aaron Hill, who has homered in a career-best three straight games and has five consecutive multihit games. Hill is 11 for 23 with nine RBIs over a six-game hitting streak.

The Diamondbacks continue to play well in interleague contests at home, winning 10 of 11 while averaging 7.5 runs and batting .328 with 21 home runs.

They also haven't had trouble scoring lately with Randall Delgado (4-3, 3.48) on the mound.

Arizona has won Delgado's last five starts - with the right-hander going 3-0 with a 3.13 ERA in that span - and provided him 24 runs of support in his last three. Delgado settled down after giving up three first-inning runs Wednesday, yielding four runs over five frames before Arizona rallied late for a 9-8 victory over Tampa Bay.

Although he's 1-5 with a 6.48 ERA in seven career interleague starts, Delgado pitched well for the Atlanta Braves in his only start against the Orioles. He limited them to two runs and three hits over eight innings in a 2-0 defeat on June 17, 2012.

Adam Jones went 2 for 3 in that contest and was batting .472 on a nine-game hitting streak before going 0 for 4 Monday.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Orioles at Diamondbacks
Mon, Aug 12 Final 6 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Orioles at Diamondbacks
Tue, Aug 13 - 9:40PM EDT

GAME 3
Orioles at Diamondbacks
Wed, Aug 14 - 3:40PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mets (54-62) at Dodgers (68-50)
Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: August 13, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


After recording his first career shutout, New York Mets starter Matt Harvey now hopes to cool off the surging Los Angeles Dodgers.

Hyun-Jin Ryu may not have Harvey's household name, but he's been just as good at shutting down opposing lineups lately.

Los Angeles seeks its first seven-game winning streak in more than three years and an eighth victory in its last nine meetings with the visiting Mets on Tuesday night.

Harvey (9-3, 2.09 ERA) tossed a gem Wednesday, pitching a four-hitter in a 5-0 win over Colorado. It also marked his first complete game in 33 career starts.

"My mindset's never going to be not to throw a complete game," Harvey said. "That's always my approach. That's always going to be my approach."

Manager Terry Collins wasn't about to remove Harvey, who hasn't allowed an earned run in three of his last four starts while going 2-1 with a 0.91 ERA in that stretch.

"You don't have many opportunities to pitch shutouts. He needs to know how to do it," Collins said. "To have that beast that wants to go out there for the ninth, especially with a five- or six-run lead? Very unique, and it's good to have him."

The right-hander's four-start winning streak to begin the season came to an end against the Dodgers, though, as he gave up three runs in six innings before the Mets rallied for a 7-3, 10-inning victory April 24.

New York didn't fare as well against Ryu the next day, as he allowed one run and three hits while striking out eight in seven innings of the Dodgers' 3-2 win.

Ryu (11-3, 2.99) has won his last four starts and has a 1.40 ERA over the last three after giving up an unearned run in seven innings of Thursday's 5-1 win at St. Louis. The Dodgers (68-50) have won his last eight starts since he fell 6-4 to the New York Yankees on June 19.

The rookie left-hander, who pitched for seven years in Korea before making his major league debut, is tied for the team lead in wins with Clayton Kershaw and has helped Los Angeles' rotation post a 3.22 ERA that's the best in the majors.

"This guy knows how to pitch so well,' catcher A.J. Ellis said. "He pitches to the scoreboard as well as anyone I've caught. He knew he had a great lineup that we had to face, and from the get-go, he was really locked in.'

The NL West leaders have been locked in for quite a while now, winning 21 of their last 24. The Dodgers also are in the midst of their best 46-game stretch (38-8) since 1900.

Adrian Gonzalez drove in a run for the seventh straight game, Yasiel Puig knocked him in with a go-ahead sacrifice fly in a three-run sixth and Nick Punto hit a solo homer in the seventh of Monday's 4-2 win over the Mets.

"It's a special group. Hopefully, special things can happen,' Punto said. "We have a lot of talent on this team and things are clicking.'

John Buck and Omar Quintanilla each had an RBI for New York (54-62), which had won five of its previous six.

The Mets have a 4.99 ERA while dropping seven of eight to the Dodgers, who had lost six of eight home meetings to New York prior to Monday.

Los Angeles hasn't won seven straight since a nine-game run in May 2010. This is its seventh six-game streak since then.

--------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Dodgers
Mon, Aug 12 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mets at Dodgers
Tue, Aug 13 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mets at Dodgers
Wed, Aug 14 - 10:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Baltimore at Arizona
The Orioles look to build on their 6-1 record in Miguel Gonzalez' last 7 starts against teams with a winning record. Baltimore is the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has the Orioles favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-115). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 13

Game 901-902: San Francisco at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Bumgarner) 15.845; Washington (Gonzalez) 14.950
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Washington (-125); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+105); Under

Game 903-904: Philadelphia at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Martin) 13.977; Atlanta (Medlen) 16.228
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 2; 9
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-240); 8
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-240); Over

Game 905-906: Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Bailey) 14.091; Cubs (Samardzija) 14.936
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-140); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+120); N/A

Game 907-908: Pittsburgh at St. Louis (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Morton) 14.522; St. Louis (Wainwright) 16.033
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-185); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-185); Under

Game 909-910: San Diego at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Stults) 13.771; Colorado (Manship) 15.026
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-135); 10
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-135); Under

Game 911-912: NY Mets at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Harvey) 16.751; LA Dodgers (Ryu) 15.784
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 7
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-125); 6
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+105); Over

Game 913-914: LA Angels at NY Yankees (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Vargas) 14.959; NY Yankees (Sabathia) 16.475
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-150); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-150); Over

Game 915-916: Boston at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Dempster) 14.996; Toronto (Redmond) 15.807
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Boston (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+105); Under

Game 917-918: Seattle at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Ramirez) 13.126; Tampa Bay (Archer) 14.712
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-210); 8
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-210); Over

Game 919-920: Detroit at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Scherzer) 14.884; White Sox (Santiago) 15.683
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Detroit (-200); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (+170); Under

Game 921-922: Cleveland at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (McAllister) 14.921; Minnesota (Deduno) 13.879
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+100); Over

Game 923-924: Houston at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Lyles) 14.043; Oakland (Colon) 15.744
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Oakland (-300); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-300); Under

Game 925-926: Milwaukee at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Estrada) 16.190; Texas (Ogando) 15.776
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Texas (-210); 9
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+180); Under

Game 927-928: Miami at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Fernandez) 14.807; Kansas City (Chen) 16.727
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 2; 8
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-140); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-140); Over

Game 929-930: Baltimore at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Gonzalez) 15.631; Arizona (Delgado) 14.224
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-115); Under

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Short Sheet

Tuesday, August 13

National League

San Francisco at Washington, 7:05 ET
Bumgarner: Under is 9-3 in Bumgarner's last 12 road starts
Gonzalez: Nationals 10-5 SU when Gonzalez starts a home night game

Philadelphia at Atlanta, 7:10 ET
Martin: Over is 10-0 last ten Phillies road games coming off a win
Medlen: Braves 13-5 SU in 2013 home games following a loss

Cincinnati at Chicago Cubs, 8:05 ET MLB
Bailey: Reds 3-9 when Bailey starts on the road in 2013
Samardzija: Over is 8-4 when Samardzija starts at home in 2013

Pittsburgh at St. Louis, 8:15 ET MLB
Morton: Pirates 6-12 SU in 2013 road series openers
Wainwright: Under is 7-3 in Wainwright 2013 home starts

San Diego at Colorado, 8:40 ET
Stults: Under is 14-6 when Stults starts on the road for Padres
Manship: Rockies 12-6 SU in second game of a 2013 home series

New York Mets at Los Angeles Dodgers, 10:10 ET
Harvey: Mets 13-5 SU when facing a southpaw in 2013
Ryu: Under is 4-2 in Ryu's last six home starts


American League

Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees, 7:05 ET
Hanson: Over is 4-0 when Hanson starts on the road for Angels
Sabathia: Yankees 13-6 last 19 times Sabathia has started a home night game

Boston at Toronto, 7:07 ET
Dempster: Over is 5-1 in Dempster's last six road starts
Redmond: Blue Jays 10-3 in last 13 home series openers

Seattle at Tampa Bay, 7:10 ET
Ramirez: Under is 26-8 since 2004 when Seattle plays at Tampa Bay
Archer: Under is 6-0 in Archer's career starts at home

Detroit at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 ET
Scherzer: Tigers 9-2 SU when Scherzer starts on the road in 2013
Santiago: White Sox 3-8 SU when Santiago starts at home

Cleveland at Minnesota, 8:10 ET
McAllister: Under is 12-4-1 in McAllister's career road starts
Deduno: Twins 9-3 SU when Deduno starts at home

Houston at Oakland, 10:05 ET
Lyles: Under is 8-4-1 in last month for Astros' road games
Colon: Athletics 13-3 SU in last 16 home starts for Colon


Interleague

Milwaukee at Texas, 8:05 ET
Estrada: Brewers 2-7 SU in last nine road series openers
Ogando: Rangers 13-4 SU in first game of a 2013 home series

Miami at Kansas City Royals, 8:10 ET
Fernandez: Under is 4-1 in Fernandez's last five road starts
Chen: Under is 7-0-1 in Chen's last eight starts

Baltimore at Arizona, 9:40 ET
Gonzalez: Under is 14-7 when Gonzalez starts on the road
Delgado: Diamondbacks 6-1 SU in Delgado's last seven starts

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, August 13

Hot pitchers
-- Bumgarner is 4-2, 1.98 in his last seven starts.
-- Medlen is 3-0, 4.26 in his last three starts.
-- Pirates won four of last five Morton starts (3-1, 4.55).
-- Dodgers won last eight Ryu starts (3-0, 1.89 last three). Harvey is 2-1, 1.21 in his last four outings.

-- Fernandez is 3-0, 1.85 in his last five starts. BChen is 2-0, 1.14 in five starts for the Royals.
-- Arizona won last five Delgado starts (3-0, 3.38 in his last four).

-- Archer is 4-1, 1.59 in his last six starts, but left his last start with tightness in his forearm. Ramirez is 3-0, 5.82 in his last three starts; Mariners scored 18 runs in those three wins.
-- Scherzer is 4-0, 1.26 in his last four starts.
-- Deduno is 3-1, 2.48 in his last five starts.
-- Colon is 3-1, 2.92 in his last five starts.

Cold pitchers
-- GGonzalez is 0-2, 8.44 in his last three starts.
-- Martin is 1-1, 6.75 in his first two MLB starts.
-- Samardzija is 0-2, 11.58 in his last couple starts. Bailey is 2-4, 4.42 in six starts since throwing his no-hitter.
-- Wainwright is 0-2, 4.71 in his last three starts.
-- Stults is 0-3, 6.20 in his last four starts. Manship allowed two runs in five IP in losing his first '13 start.

-- Estrada is 0-2, 5.06 in his last three starts.
-- Ogando is 1-1, 4.34 in four starts since coming off the DL.
-- MGonzalez is 0-2, 8.16 in his last three starts.

-- Sabathia is 0-4, 8.03 in his last six starts. Vargas was 1-1, 4.82 in his last three starts before going on the DL, last of which was June 17.
-- Dempster has a 9.00 RA in his last five starts, but Red Sox won all five, scoring total of 38 runs. Redmond is 0-0, 4.66 in his last four starts.
-- Santiago is 0-2, 4.97 in his last four starts.
-- McAllister is 0-4, 6.75 in his last six starts.
-- Houston lost last eight Lyles starts (0-5, 9.95).

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in the first inning. You're reading ***************.com. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Bumgarner 3-23; GGonzalez 6-24 (0 of last 5)
-- Martin 0-2; Medlen 8-23 (0 of last 4)
-- Bailey 3-24 (0 of last 5); Samardzija 6-24 (0 of last 5)
-- Morton 2-10; Wainwright 6-24
-- Stults 7-24; Manship 0-1
-- Harvey 4-23 (1 of last 11); Ryu 6-22 (0 of last 4)

-- Estrada 3-13; Ogando 3-14
-- Fernandez 4-22 (0 of last 5); Chen 1-5
-- MGonzalez 6-20; Delgado 4-10

-- Vargas 1-14; Sabathia 6-24
-- Dempster 8-22; Redmond 0-5
-- Ramirez 2-4; Archer 3-13
-- Scherzer 4-23 (0 of last 8); Santiago 4-16
-- McAllister 5-15; Deduno 4-14
-- Lyles 5-18 (1 of last 12); Colon 6-23

Totals
-- Under is 7-2-1 in San Francisco's last ten games.
-- Seven of last nine Atlanta games stayed under the total.
-- Last seven Cincinnati road games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Pirate games went over the total.
-- Under is 6-3-1 in last ten Colorado games.
-- 13 of last 17 Dodger games stayed under the total.

-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Ogando starts.
-- Under is 9-3-1 in last thirteen Miami games.
-- Four of last five Arizona games went over the total.

-- Eight of last eleven Angel games went over the total.
-- Over is 8-2-1 in last eleven Toronto games.
-- Four of last five Seattle games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Detroit games went over the total.
-- Four of last six Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Four of last six Houston games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- Washington won its last three games, scoring 23 runs.
-- Braves won 15 of their last 17 games.
-- Cincinnati won five of its last six games.
-- Colorado won six of its last seven home games.
-- Dodgers are 38-8 in their last 46 games. Mets won four of their last six.

-- Rangers won 13 of their last 14 games. Milwaukee won four of last six.
-- Kansas City won 17 of its last 20 games.
-- Orioles/Diamondbacks both won four of their last six games.

-- Bronx Bombers won three of their last four games.
-- Minnesota won eight of its last eleven games.
-- A's won three of their last four games.

Cold teams
-- Giants lost six of their last nine games.
-- Phillies lost 17 of their last 21 games.
-- Cubs lost nine of their last ten home games.
-- Pirates lost their last three games, scoring seven runs. St Louis lost four of its last five games.
-- Padres lost six of their last eight games.

-- Marlins lost eight of their last nine games, scoring 19 runs.

-- Toronto lost four of its last five games. Red Sox lost three of last four.
-- Angels lost 12 of their last 17 games.
-- Rays lost last five games, outscored 35-18. Seattle lost four of its last six.
-- White Sox lost 13 of their last 18 games. Detroit lost three of last four.
-- Indians lost seven of their last eight games.
-- Astros lost 24 of their last 29 games.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, August 13

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
LA ANGELS vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone OVER in 8 of LA Angels's last 12 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
LA Angels are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games
NY Yankees are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 8 of NY Yankees's last 12 games when playing at home against LA Angels

7:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Francisco's last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against San Francisco
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Francisco

7:07 PM
BOSTON vs. TORONTO
Boston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

7:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games
Atlanta is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing Philadelphia
Atlanta is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games

7:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. TAMPA BAY
Seattle is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Seattle's last 7 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
Tampa Bay is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Seattle

8:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. CHI CUBS
Cincinnati is 10-2 SU in their last 12 games when playing Chi Cubs
Cincinnati is 13-1 SU in their last 14 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 1-13 SU in their last 14 games when playing at home against Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Chi Cubs's last 19 games

8:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 9 games on the road
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Texas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Cleveland

8:10 PM
MIAMI vs. KANSAS CITY
Miami is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Miami's last 15 games on the road
Kansas City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Kansas City's last 7 games

8:10 PM
DETROIT vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit

8:15 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

8:40 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. COLORADO
San Diego is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Colorado
San Diego is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing at home against San Diego
Colorado is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against San Diego

9:40 PM
BALTIMORE vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Baltimore's last 7 games when playing Arizona
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games

10:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. OAKLAND
Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Oakland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Oakland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:10 PM
NY METS vs. LA DODGERS
NY Mets are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Mets's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 8 games when playing NY Mets
LA Dodgers are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing NY Mets

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, August 13

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Tuesday's MLB betting notes and tips
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NATIONAL

San Francisco Giants at Washington Nationals (-118, 6.5)

Cold pitching stat: Washington starter Gio Gonzalez is 0-2 with a 10.45 ERA in his previous two starts.

Cold batting stat: Giants 2B Marco Scutaro is 2-for-19 (.105) in his career versus Gonzalez.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from left field to right field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: The Giants are 10-1 in Madison Bumgarner's last 11 Tuesday starts.

Philadelphia Phillies at Atlanta Braves (-240, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Braves starter Kris Medlen is 1-2 with a 6.61 ERA in three starter versus the Phillies this season.

Hot batting stat: Phillies 2B Chase Utley is 4-for-11 with one homer and three RBIs in his career versus Medlen.

Weather: There is a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for gametime. Temperatures will be in the high-70s with wind blowing out to right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 6-1 in Medlen's last seven starts versus the National League East.

Cincinnati Reds at Chicago Cubs (+118, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija gave up nine earned runs on 11 hits in just 3 1/3 innings in a 12-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies his last turn on the mound.

Hot batting stat: Cubs OF Nate Schierholtz is batting .390 versus the Reds this season. He is 16-for-41 and has one double, two triples and one homer.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 10 mph.

Key betting note: The Cubs are 0-4 in Samardzija's last four home starts.

Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals (-180, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: Cards starter Adam Wainwright is 0-2 with a 4.29 ERA in his last three starts.

Hot batting stat: Pirates OF Andrew McCutchen is 9-for-23 (.391) with three doubles and one triple in his career versus Wainwright.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from left field at 10 mph.

Key betting note: The Pirates are 12-2 in their last 14 games following an off day.

San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies (-125, 10)

Hot pitching stat: Padres starter Eric Stults is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in two starts versus the Rockies this season.

Hot batting stat: Rockies OF Dexter Fowler is 4-for-9 with two doubles in his career versus Stults.

Weather: There is a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for gametime. Temperatures will be in the low-70s and wind will blow in from right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 9-2 in Stults' last 11 road starts.

New York Mets at Los Angeles Dodgers (-115, 6)

Hot pitching stat: Mets starter Matt Harvey is coming off a complete game, four-hit shutout of the Rockies in his last start on August 7.

Hot batting stat: Dodgers OF Yasiel Puig is 15-for-34 (.441) with four doubles, one triple and one home run in the month of August.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with clear skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The Dodgers are 8-0 in Ryu's last eight starts versus a team with a losing record.


AMERICAN

Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees (-145, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: The Yankees have lost the last six games that CC Sabathia has started. The lefty has an ERA of 7.00 in those starts.

Cold batting stat: Angels OF Josh Hamilton is 2-for-17 (.118) in his career versus Sabathia.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 8 mph. There is a 20 percent chance of rain in the forecast.

Key betting note: The Angels are 1-8 in their last nine games versus a left-handed starter.

Boston Red Sox at Toronto Blue Jays (+108, 9.5)

Cold pitching stat: Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster has an ERA of 9.00 in his two August starts.

Cold batting stat: Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion is batting just .200 (4-for-20) in his career versus Dempster.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 15 mph. There is a 20 percent chance of rain in the forecast.

Key betting note: The over is 6-0 in Dempster's last six starts overall.

Seattle Mariners at Tampa Bay Rays (-205, 8)

Cold pitching stat: After a near-flawless July, Rays starter Chris Archer is 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA in two August starts. The Rays have lost both games.

Cold batting stat: Seattle's leading hitter Kendrys Morales (.292) is just 3-for-30 in his career at Tropicana Field.

Weather: Dome

Key betting note: The under is 20-5-1 in the Rays last 26 on astroturf.

Cleveland Indians at Minnesota Twins (-112, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Twins starter Samuel Deduno took the loss versus Cleveland on June 21 in a 5-1 defeat. Deduno lasted six innings and gave up four runs on six hits.

Cold batting stat: Indians C Carlos Santana is 0-for-9 in his career versus Deduno.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with mostly sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The Indians are 4-9 in Zach McAllister's last 13 road starts.

Detroit Tigers at Chicago White Sox (+170, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Detroit's Max Scherzer is 4-0 in his last four starts and has a 1.26 ERA over that stretch.

Cold batting stat: Tigers CF Austin Jackson is 2-for-12 (.167) in his career versus Sox starter Hector Santiago.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with clear skies. Wind will blow from left field to right field at 10 mph.

Key betting note: The Tigers are 5-0 in Scherzer's last five starts versus the White Sox.

Houston Astros at Oakland A's (-295, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: A's starter Bartolo Colon is coming off his worst outing of the season. The vet went 2 2/3 innings giving up five runs on seven hits in a 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on August 7.

Hot batting stat: Astros C Jason Castro is 6-for-9 with one homer and three RBIs in his career versus Colon.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 10 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 12-4 in the last 16 meetings.


INTERLEAGUE

Baltimore Orioles at Arizona Diamondbacks (+100, 9)

Cold batting stat: Despite the DBacks winning both of his August starts, Randall Delgado brings a 6.55 ERA in August into Tuesday's start.

Cold batting stat: DBacks RF Cody Ross is 0-for-6 with three strikeouts in his career versus O's starter Miguel Gonzalez.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-90s with sunny skies. Wind will blow from left field to right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The Orioles are 3-7 in Gonzalez's last 10 road starts.

Milwaukee Brewers at Texas Rangers (-205, 9)

Hot pitching stat: Brewers starter Marco Estrada is coming off a start in which he gave up just one hit over his five innings of work in a 6-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants on August 7.

Hot batting stat: Rangers OF Alex Rios is 4-for-11 with one double, one triple and three RBIs in his three games since being acquired by the Rangers from the White Sox.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-90s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The Brewers are 7-1 in Estrada's last eight starts during Game 1 of a series.

Miami Marlins at Kansas City Royals (-130, 6.5)

Hot pitching stat: Marlins starter Jose Fernandez is 3-0 with a 1.85 ERA in his last five starts.

Hot batting stat: Marlins 3B Placido Polanco is 5-for-12 with two doubles, two homers and five RBIs in his career versus Royals starter Bruce Chen.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with mostly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from right field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 8-2 in the Royals' last 10 Tuesday games.


** Odds, probable starters and weather forecast as of 8:37 p.m ET Monday.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, August 13

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MLB Top 3: Hot 'over' pitchers on the mound Tuesday
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Tuesday's Major League Baseball action features a trio of hurlers that have trended toward scorelines finishing over the total.

Here is a look at three pitchers to consider if you're looking to play totals.

CC Sabathia, New York Yankees (9-10, 4.72 ERA)

The burly Yankees southpaw has an ERA of 8.33 with 25 earned runs over 27 innings in his previous five starts; all of which have gone over the total. He has surrendered 25 homers on the year (only A.J. Griffin and R.A. Dickey have given up more - what is it with double initial pitchers?) and nobody has allowed more total bases (289).

The Yanks host the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday.

Ryan Dempster, Boston Red Sox (6-9, 4.67 ERA)

The 'over' is 6-0 in the Canadians' previous six starts. The Sox are 5-1 in the six games, primarily because they give Dempster the second-best run support in the bigs. The Sox are good for 5.78 runs of support when Dempster starts. Only Max Scherzer gets more support at 6.17 per game.

The Sox are in Toronto to face the Jays Tuesday.

Jordan Lyles, Houston Astros (4-6, 5.40 ERA)

The young Astros righty has been great fodder for 'over' bettors recently. The 'over' is 7-0-2 in Lyles' previous nine outings and is 12-4 on the season in his 16 starts.

The Astros are on the road to face the Oakland A's Tuesday.